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The Big Four (novel)
''The Big Four'' is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie, first published in the UK by William Collins, Sons, William Collins & Sons on 27 January 1927 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company later in the same year. It features Hercule Poirot, Arthur Hastings, and Chief Inspector Japp, Inspector Japp. The UK edition retailed at seven shillings and British sixpence coin, sixpence (7/6) and the US edition at $2.00. The structure of the novel is different from other Poirot stories, as it began from twelve short stories (eleven in the US) that had been separately published. This is a tale of international intrigue and espionage, therefore opening up the possibility of more spy fiction from Christie. Development In 1926 Christie was already deeply affected by the death of her mother earlier in the year and the breakdown of her marriage to Archibald Christie. Her brother-in-law, Campbell Christie, suggested that, rather than undergo the strain of composing a completely ne ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Agatha Christie
Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English people, English author known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. She also wrote the world's longest-running play, the murder mystery ''The Mousetrap'', which has been performed in the West End theatre, West End of London since 1952. A writer during the "Golden Age of Detective Fiction", Christie has been called the "Queen of Crime"—a nickname now trademarked by her estate—or the "Queen of Mystery". She also wrote six novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. In 1971, she was made a Dame (DBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for her contributions to literature. She is the best-selling fiction writer of all time, her novels having sold more than two billion copies. Christie was born into a wealthy upper-middle-class family in Torquay, Devon, and was ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Partners In Crime (short Story Collection)
''Partners in Crime'' is a short story collection by British writer Agatha Christie, first published by Dodd, Mead and Company in the US in 1929 and in the UK by William Collins, Sons on 16 September of the same year. The US edition retailed at $2.00 and the UK edition at seven shillings and sixpence (7/6). All of the stories in the collection had previously been published in magazines (see '' First publication of stories'' below) and feature her detectives Tommy and Tuppence Beresford, first introduced in ''The Secret Adversary'' (1922). This collection of detective short stories has a theme connecting the stories, as well, "a group of short detective stories within a detective novel." The collection was well received on publication, with the "merriest collection", with amiable parodies, to one reviewer who was less impressed, saying the stories were "entertaining enough". One noted that "By having two detectives who are usually alternately successful she hristiehas always ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard (officially New Scotland Yard) is the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police, the territorial police force responsible for policing Greater London's London boroughs, 32 boroughs. Its name derives from the location of the original Metropolitan Police headquarters at 4 Whitehall Place, which had its main public entrance on the Westminster street called Great Scotland Yard. The Scotland Yard entrance became the public entrance, and over time "Scotland Yard" came to be used not only as the common name of the headquarters building, but also as a metonym for the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) itself and police officers, especially detectives, who serve in it. ''The New York Times'' wrote in 1964 that, just as Wall Street gave its name to New York's financial district, Scotland Yard became the name for police activity in London. The force moved from Great Scotland Yard in 1890, to a newly completed building on the Victoria Embankment, and the name "New Scotland Yard" ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Inspector Japp
Inspector James Japp (later Chief Inspector Japp) is a fictional character who appears in several of Agatha Christie's novels featuring Hercule Poirot. Creation Inspector Japp was inspired by the fictional police detective Inspector Lestrade from the Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle. Christie even modelled Japp after the "ferret-like" qualities of Lestrade. In the first novel in which Japp appears, '' The Mysterious Affair at Styles'', he is described as a "ferret-faced man", which is similar to the description of Lestrade as a "ferret-like man" in Doyle's 1891 short story " The Boscombe Valley Mystery". Appearances Japp has been depicted in seven novels written by Christie, all featuring Hercule Poirot: *'' The Mysterious Affair at Styles'' (1920) * ''The Big Four'' (1927) *''Peril at End House'' (1932) *''Lord Edgware Dies'' (1933), also known as ''Thirteen at Dinner'' *''Death in the Clouds'' (1935), also known as ''Death in the Air'' *'' The A.B.C. Murders'' (19 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sidekick
A sidekick is a close companion or colleague who is, or is generally regarded as, subordinate to those whom they accompany. Origins The first recorded use of the term dates from 1896. It is believed to have originated in pickpocket slang of the late 19th century. The "kick" was the front pocket of a pair of trousers, believed to be the pocket safest from theft. Thus, by analogy, a "side-kick" was a person's closest companion.Morris, EvanWord Detective(December 20, 1999). One of the earliest recorded examples of a sidekick may be Enkidu, who played a sidekick role to Gilgamesh after they became allies in the ''Epic of Gilgamesh''. Other early examples are Achilles and Patroclus in the ''Iliad'' and Moses and Aaron in the Old Testament.Hay, Noelle"Evolution of a sidekick," SFFWorld.com (2002). In fiction Sidekicks can fulfill one or multiple functions in fiction, such as a counterpoint to the hero,McNamera, Mary"Critic's Notebook: Sidekicks are second bananas no more,"''Lo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Private Investigator
A private investigator (often abbreviated to PI; also known as a private detective, an inquiry agent or informally a wikt:private eye, private eye) is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private investigators often work for lawyer, attorneys in civil and criminal cases. History In 1833, Eugène François Vidocq, a French soldier, criminal, and privateer, founded the first known private detective agency, "Le Bureau des Renseignements Universels pour le commerce et l'Industrie" ("The Office of Universal Information For Commerce and Industry") and hired ex-convicts. Much of what private investigators did in the early days was to act as the police in matters for which their clients felt the police were not equipped or willing to do. Official law enforcement tried many times to shut it down. In 1842, police arrested him in suspicion of unlawful imprisonment and taking money on false pretences after he had solved an embezzleme ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Character Actor
A character actor is an actor known for playing unusual, eccentric, or interesting character (arts), characters in supporting roles, rather than leading ones.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrieved 7 August 2014, "..a breed of actor who has the ability to be almost unrecognizable from part to part, and yet play many, many roles convincingly and memorably. .." The term is somewhat abstract and open to interpretation. While all actors play "characters", the term character actor is often applied to an actor who frequently plays a distinctive and important supporting role. In another sense, a character actor may also be one who specializes in minor roles. A character actor may play a variety of characters in their career, often referred to as a "chameleon", or may be known for playing the same type of roles. Character actor roles are more substantial than bit parts or non-speaking Extra (acting), extras. The term is used primarily to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Russian Diaspora
The Russian diaspora is the global community of Ethnicity, ethnic Russians. The Russian-speaking (''Russophone'') diaspora are the people for whom Russian language is the First language, native language, regardless of whether they are ethnic Russians or not. History A significant ethnic Russian emigration took place in the wake of the Old Believers, Old Believer Great Russian Schism, schism in the 17th century (for example, the Lipovans, who migrated southwards around 1700). Later ethnic Russian communities, such as the Doukhobors (who emigrated to the Transcaucasus from 1841 and onwards to Canada from 1899), also emigrated as religious dissidents fleeing centrist authority. One of the religious minorities that had a significant effect on emigration from Russia was the Russian Jewish population. In the twentieth century, Emigration from the Soviet Union is often broken down into three "waves" (волны) of emigration. The waves are the "First Wave", or "White Wave", which ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grandmaster (chess)
Grandmaster (GM) is a Chess title, title awarded to chess players by the world chess organization FIDE. Apart from World Chess Championship, World Champion, Grandmaster is the highest title a chess player can attain. Once achieved, the title is held for life, though exceptionally the title can be revoked for Cheating in chess, cheating. The title of Grandmaster, along with the lesser FIDE titles of FIDE titles#International Master (IM), International Master (IM), FIDE titles#FIDE Master (FM), FIDE Master (FM), and FIDE titles#Candidate Master (CM), Candidate Master (CM), is open to all players regardless of gender. The great majority of grandmasters are men, but 42 women have been awarded the GM title as of 2024, out of a total of about 2000 grandmasters. There is also a FIDE titles#Woman Grandmaster (WGM), Woman Grandmaster title with lower requirements awarded only to women. There are also Grandmaster titles for composers and solvers of chess problems, awarded by the World Federa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jasminum Humile
''Chrysojasminum humile'' ( syn. ''Jasminum humile''), the Italian jasmine or yellow jasmine, is a species of flowering plant in the family Oleaceae, native to Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Burma (Myanmar), the Himalayas and south west China (Gansu, Guizhou, Sichuan, Xizang (Tibet), Yunnan). The species is widely cultivated and reportedly naturalized in Greece, Sicily and the former Yugoslavia. Growing tall by wide, it is a roundish semi-evergreen shrub with thick stems. It has stout, dark green leaves, 5 cm long, with 5–7 imparipinnate leaflets. In protected areas it retains its leaves over winter, though in cold winters its foliage and buds may freeze. It blooms in spring and summer with clusters of usually six yellow, scented flowers. Numerous cultivars have been developed for garden use, of which 'Revolutum' ( syn. ''J. reevesii'' ) has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. Etymology ''Jasminum'' is a Latinized version of the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Worcestershire
Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Shropshire, Staffordshire, and the West Midlands (county), West Midlands county to the north, Warwickshire to the east, Gloucestershire to the south, and Herefordshire to the west. The city of Worcester, England, Worcester is the largest settlement and the county town. The county is largely rural, and has an area of and a population of 592,057. After Worcester (103,872) the largest settlements are Redditch (87,036), Kidderminster (57,400), and Bromsgrove (34,755). It contains six local government Non-metropolitan district, districts, which are part of a two-tier non-metropolitan county also called Worcestershire County Council, Worcestershire. The county Historic counties of England, historically had Evolution of Worcestershire county boundaries since 1844, complex boundaries, and included Dudley an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Manuscript
A manuscript (abbreviated MS for singular and MSS for plural) was, traditionally, any document written by hand or typewritten, as opposed to mechanically printed or reproduced in some indirect or automated way. More recently, the term has come to be understood to further include ''any'' written, typed, or word-processed copy of an author's work, as distinguished from the rendition as a printed version of the same. Before the arrival of prints, all documents and books were manuscripts. Manuscripts are not defined by their contents, which may combine writing with mathematical calculations, maps, music notation, explanatory figures, or illustrations. Terminology The word "manuscript" derives from the (from , hand and from , to write), and is first recorded in English in 1597. An earlier term in English that shares the meaning of a handwritten document is "hand-writ" (or "handwrit"), which is first attested around 1175 and is now rarely used. The study of the writing ( ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
